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by Alison Zingaro
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 For many children, becoming a car designer is a career aspiration that ranks up there with astronaut and professional athlete. The elusive combination of talent, ambition and luck required to make it in this competitive field is reason enough why the pursuit is so often abandoned. Not so for Jason Castriota, who started drawing cars when he was five years old and who at age 36 has already amassed an impressive list of notable and award-winning vehicles to his name. Known the world over for extreme supercars and one-offs like the Maserati Birdcage Concept 75, the Maserati Gran Turismo, the Ferrari P4/5 and the Bertone Mantide, Castriota has wowed the auto industry time and again with his brilliant and mind-blowing creations.
After earning a BA in Film and Mass Communications from Emerson College, the American designer, born and raised in New York to Italian parents, enrolled in the Art Center College of Design to follow his passion for styling automobiles. He left midway through his studies for an internship at the legendary Italian studio, Pininfarina, where in just seven years he went on to hold the positions of both Chief Designer and Designer Responsible for Special Projects. In 2008, Castriota became the Director of Design for another Italian design house, Stile Bertone, and has been credited with helping to revive the historic company with a radical design and marketing strategy.
Today, the young designer has an exciting road ahead of him. As the newly appointed Head of Design for Saab, he is preparing to unveil his first project for the automaker, a revamp of the popular 9-3 model. He also recently launched Jason Castriota Designs, his own design and branding firm that will take on work as wide-ranging as consumer products, interiors and apparel.
Jason Castriota is represented exclusively by Culture & Commerce, Inc. in the areas of industrial design, interior design and apparel. Culture & Commerce, Inc. is a strategic design consultancy and management agency that develops high-potential design opportunities for global brands and designers. www.culturecommerce.com
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Matter: Did you always know that you wanted to design cars? What were some of your early influences?
Jason Castriota: Car design was almost an “unhealthy” obsession as a child. Some kids kick a soccer ball around, I doodled Ferraris – I am the first to say it was far from normal! My primary influences were automobiles themselves. I would spend hours sitting in the nearby Ferrari dealership sketching and would beg my father to shuttle me around to any and every car event and race in the immediate vicinity. Luckily enough he was a car lover so he usually obliged. Military aircraft, NASA and science fiction also heavily inspired me. My parents took me to see Star Wars even though I was barely 4 years old and needless to say it changed my life. I was fascinated by the film’s design, and when I was gifted the original “Art of Star Wars” book I fully understood that my path to be a designer was set.
Matter: What was it like to begin your career at Pininfarina?
JC: It was humbling, exciting, and exhausting all at once! I can honestly say that Pininfarina was my true school. I was fortunate enough to be born with an innate passion and talent to design cars, but it was the opportunities that I was given at Pininfarina which allowed me to develop and hone my craft. Pininfarina is a very special place because you have the opportunity to work on so many different types of vehicles and brands from city cars to supercars; upstart Chinese manufactures to icons such as Ferrari and Maserati. While I was there, there was still a nucleus of people who had started in PF over thirty years ago. It was very special collaborating with people that were responsible for many of the cars that inspired me as a child.
 Matter: From the graceful lines on the Ferrari P4/5 by Pininfarina to the more angular cuts on the Bertone Mantide, the cars you design look fast – as if their geometries have been deliberately calculated for speed. How are you able to integrate your aesthetic ideas with the engineering required to produce top performance vehicles? Is a high level of mechanical knowledge required?
JC: I definitely take a very holistic approach and believe above all the vehicle’s design must be honest to its end goals. This approach was really founded by the Italian carrozzeria’s such as Pininfarina, Bertone . Working there you learn early on that a car is really designed form the inside out. You absolutely have to understand the packaging or vehicle architecture before you can start creating a shape. I pride myself on having a good overall knowledge of the vehicle architecture and aerodynamics, and this has been a great advantage when working with engineers who are really focused on performance and much less on the aesthetics. By speaking the same language and proactively searching for design solutions which actually increase performance – whether it be aerodynamically, improved weight distribution or parts reduction – I was able to win a lot of hearts and minds with the engineers. The end results are cars that I believe to be honest and coherent, and subconsciously, the viewer inherently understands this. A good coherent design should follow the old adage that the sum of its parts should be worth exponentially more than the parts themselves.
Matter: Aside from the “wow” factor, what function do supercars play for automakers and design studios? Is there ever any potential for the innovations showcased to reach the mass market, or is it generally too cost prohibitive?
JC: Well, the “wow factor” is first and foremost because a supercar is always viewed as an exclusive and ultra premium product – almost more art than automobile. This has a ripple effect through the entire brand and raises the status of even the most economical car in the lineup. It is for this very reason you see large companies like Audi produce dedicated low volume sports cars such as the R8. Everyone that buys an A3 or the new A1 sees this technological masterpiece and recognizes their car was designed, engineered and built by the same people. It builds status and confidence in the consumer. Supercars – like their cousins, true race cars – are also rolling test beds of the newest most advanced technologies. Every advancement found in even the least expensive cars on the road today have billion-dollar F1 cars and super sports cars to thank. ABS braking systems, traction control, adaptive suspensions, engines of higher specific output with improved consumption, light weight composites – all of these advancements trickled down into your daily driver the world of high performance road and track cars.
Matter: What about all of the new hybrid supercars of late? Are they a marketing gimmick or can they advance technologies that will help reduce our impact on the planet?
JC: Hybrids have a lot of potential and are by no means a short term solution. You will see hybrids developing and improving with each new generation. The reality is that the internal combustion engine is still the most efficient power plant, and many of the very promising alternatives - electric, hydrogen, etc. - are just not ready for mass production and utilization yet. The greatest hindrance is the lack of an infrastructure for these alternative fuel sources, but this will change in time. In the interim car companies are wisely developing solutions on multiple fronts. Any way you cut it, we all know that we need to produce more sustainable and greener automobiles.
 Matter: The Bertone Mantide has been called one of the greatest all-round performance cars in the world. How did the styling and choice of materials in this vehicle help set it apart?
JC: The Mantide has the benefit of being a singular object, thus it is a no-compromise vehicle. The styling was deliberately provocative and function driven. I didn’t want a “wow” car, I wanted people to be left with gaping jaws and if they could muster anything, it would be more along the lines of “What the @%#!” That is exactly the response we got, and when you see it on the road, it is truly striking because there is nothing else even remotely similar. Of the literally hundreds of thousands of people who have seen it at various events around the globe, the comparative reference used is always a spaceship or a sculpture – not an automobile – and that is tremendously satisfying. In regard to the material, given that this was a one of a kind car, not only could we push the boundaries of the design, but we could afford to use only the best, lightest, strongest and most exotic materials – titanium, magnesium, aluminum and of course carbon fiber. We worked hand in hand with one of the top carbon fiber producers in the world to create panels of amazing strength and lightness. The use of carbon fiber allowed us to create complex forms which would never be possible in an industrialized vehicle, and the end result was a car nearly 100kilos(220lbs) lighter than the original donor vehicle – the already light and formidable Corvette ZR1.
Matter: While certain cars in your portfolio, like the Pininfarina's Rolls Royce Hyperion and the Maserati Birdcage, stylistically reference earlier, classic models, they also offer something very futuristic and new. Where do you look to for inspiration outside of the auto-industry?
JC: I always look to instill a nervous energy by juxtaposing contrasting elements – and much of this inspiration comes directly from high fashion. Imagine the flowing volumes of a silk dress contrasted with chunky jewelry and dagger-like stiletto heels. For me automobiles need to be sexy and provocative, and thus they need the same contrasting elements. The Birdcage pulls this trick off as its body is fluid and sensual – almost as if one poured mercury over the mechanical and then placed it in the wind tunnel. These soft forms and volumes are then contrasted with the extremely brutal mechanicals such as the trident shaped wheels, and the suspension and motor, which are in plain view through the glass canopy. I believe that fresh, challenging design needs to have a hierarchy of layers which you continue to discover the closer you look. Part of the reason the Mantide is so visually challenging is because there are layers on top of layers. I wanted to challenge myself to do something truly complex yet coherent. The more you look at it, the more you will discover.
 Matter: The Maserati GranTurismo seems tame compared to some of the other cars you’ve worked on, but this vehicle has been praised for its attention to detail, high-quality materials and elegance. What are some of special features that contributed to its success?
JC: The Granturismo had to be dramatic and elegant at the same time – not an easy task. My colleagues at PF and I knew we needed a car that really made you look when it was coming towards you, and then made you fall in love as it drove by. I always liken the Granturismo to the Angelina Jolie of automobiles. The expression of at the front of the car is truly captivating - sexy and aggressive – with cat eyes and a big wry mouth. As you walk around to the side, the sensual and elegant proportion captures your heart. Ultimately it is a very simple clean design with minimal ornamentation. A very less is more attitude – but with a lot of character.
Matter: You’ve recently been named the new head of design for Saab. Although the automaker has had a tumultuous couple of years, the company seems poised for some big changes. What excited you about taking on this new role and how will you help define Saab’s strategy for the future?
JC: Given the responsibility of redefining and rebuilding an iconic brand such as Saab is an amazing and humbling challenge. Now that Saab is an independent company, they can focus exclusively on making true bold Saab cars. I respond directly to chairman Victor Muller and CEO Jan Ake Jonsson, and this means I can really push. They do not interfere – they are enablers and want to do whatever it takes to put the best product on the market possible.
 Matter: I read that your first design for the company will be the new Saab 9-3. Can you tell us about any of the changes in store for Saab’s mainstay car?
JC: The 9-3 is the bread and butter of Saab. This is the spiritual successor to the iconic and hugely successful 900 series, so needless to say we need to get it right! Above all, you will see a return to very distinctive proportions and a unique blend of sportiness and utility that Saab has always been renowned for. I have never sought to do “me too” designs – and this car will be distinctly different from the competitors.
Matter: You’ve also recently launched your own design and branding firm, Jason Castriota Designs. Will you focus primarily on automotive design or do you plan to branch out into other fields?
JC: My team and I have spent the last ten years working with many of the world’s most iconic, premium brands, and thus we have accumulated a wealth of experiencing in branding, marketing and design which we hope to transfer into other fields of design. We are ambitiously branching out into several areas – from furniture, to yachts, to shoes and apparel to table top design. This is, and will continue to be, a great challenge, but we are really having so much fun! Personally, I have always done my best work when I am faced with a new fun challenge.
Matter: Are there any upcoming projects that you can talk about, or specific areas of design where you’re looking to make your mark? How do you think your background in high-performance and luxury vehicles will inform the work you do going forward?
JC: We have a few ongoing commissions - a water bottle, an interior space, and some apparel - but I cannot say much more at this time. Ultimately, my experience rests above all in the premium design segment, and I am excited to extend my vision and take on other premium products and ultimately create the trickle-down effect into more mainstream products. I feel very drawn to furniture due to the sculptural aspects, and high performance yachts certainly get my wheels turning. In terms of exercising my creativity, I am also particularly interested in doing toys – because the sky is the limit. In terms of my background, working on such a complex industrialized product has given me great experience with a multitude of materials and manufacturing processes and this should translate well into creating different types of products. Few people realize that an automobile is literally made up of hundreds of designed and engineered products. From the lounge chair of the driver’s seat, to the watch dial like gauges, to the jewel like lighting units, to the sculpture of the body itself - every piece is designed with a specific function and engineering constraints. More challenging still all these parts need to fit together to create a single cohesive industrialized product! M
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Photo Credits (From top to bottom)
1. Ferrari P4/P5 by Pininfarina (Copyright Jim Glickenhaus)
2. Jason Castriota (Photo by Bradley Farrell)
3. Ferrari P4/P5 by Pininfarina (Copyright and photo courtesy Jim Glickenhaus)
4. Bertone Mantide (Copyright and photo courtesy Dan Watkins)
5. Maserati Gran Turismo S (Copyright Maserati S.p.A)
6. Rolls Royce Hyperion by Pininfarina (Copyright Pininfarina S.p.A)
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